Latest news with #Muwasi
ABC News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Israeli strikes kill at least 72 people in Gaza as prospects for ceasefire in war improve
Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight and into Saturday, according to Palestinian health workers amid growing hopes for a ceasefire after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi, near the southern city of Khan Younis. Relatives said they were struck while they were sleeping. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teim, said as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers in the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to Gaza health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City. Their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. Another strike on a gathering in eastern Gaza City killed eight, including five children, the hospital said. A strike on a gathering at the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed two, according to Al-Awda Hospital. US President Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters on Friday, he said: "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." An official with knowledge of the situation and speaking anonymously told The Associated Press that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer would arrive in Washington next week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. There have been sporadic indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, less than half of them believed to be alive. They were among 251 people taken hostage when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. The militants also killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. "What more is left to do in Gaza that has not already been done? Who else is left to eliminate?" Yotam Cohen, brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, said on Saturday evening as weekly rallies by families and supporters resumed following Israel's ceasefire with Iran. The Israel-Gaza war has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million and causing a hunger crisis. It said more than half of the dead were women and children. It said the dead include 6,089 killed since the end of the latest ceasefire. Israel said it only targeted militants and blamed civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the militants of hiding among civilians. There is hope among families of Israeli hostages that Mr Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might lead to more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israelis widely supported their prime minister's strikes on Iran, and Benjamin Netanyahu could now feel he has more space to end the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners have opposed. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu says he will end the war only once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After preventing all food from entering into the territory for two and a half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies in since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and that it is investigating incidents in which civilians have been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. Saturday's death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment on the incident. AP
Asharq Al-Awsat
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 72 People in Gaza
Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight and into Saturday, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. 'What did these children do to them? What is their fault?' said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. Another strike on a gathering in eastern Gaza City killed eight including five children, the hospital said. A strike on a gathering at the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed two, according to Al-Awda Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters on Friday, he said, 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will arrive in Washington next week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the war.
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israeli strikes kill more than 60 people in Gaza, health officials say
At least 62 people have been killed in Gaza by overnight Israeli strikes, according to health officials, as the humanitarian situation worsens in the besieged strip despite renewed hope for a ceasefire. Airstrikes began overnight on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, killing a dozen people near a displacement shelter near Palestine Stadium in Gaza City. A strike at midday on Saturday killed at least 11 people. A displaced family in a tent was killed in an Israeli strike in Muwasi, southern Gaza, while they were sleeping. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 people, half of whom are women and children, local health authorities say. Famine-like conditions reign in Gaza after a two-and-a-half month blockade imposed by Israel on all food until late May, since when Israel has allowed only a dribble of humanitarian aid into the strip. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 people hostage. The latest killings come as a ceasefire in Gaza seems within reach, with Donald Trump saying on Friday that an agreement could come within a week. 'I think it's close,' the US president said. 'I just spoke to some of the people involved. We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire.' Reports say Israel's minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, will visit Washington next week to discuss the ceasefire, among other topics. The recent ceasefire with Iran, which ended a 12-day conflict that Israel perceived to be a great success, might provide breathing room for long-stalled peace talks. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said on Thursday: 'Along with releasing our hostages and defeating Hamas, there is an opportunity, a window of opportunity has opened and it can't be missed. Not even a single day can be wasted.' Fighting started anew in Gaza in March, when Israel restarted its war after refusing to move to a second phase of a January ceasefire that could have led to a more permanent truce. Negotiations since then have so far been fruitless, with Hamas insisting on a total end to the war in Gaza – a demand Israel has rejected. Since the breakdown of the March ceasefire, more than 6,000 people have been killed in Gaza. Israel, for its part, says its aim for continuing the war is to return about 50 hostages who remain in Gaza, 30 of whom are presumed to be dead. Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages if there is a permanent truce, but Netanyahu wants the militant group to be completely dismantled in Gaza. The most recent US proposal for a ceasefire involved a 60-day pause in fighting and renewed talks to achieve long-term peace, in addition to the release of half of all living hostages and half of the deceased. Hamas previously requested amendments to the proposal to release fewer hostages and for a permanent truce, which was rejected by US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, at the end of May. As ceasefire talks have languished, humanitarian conditions in Gaza have sharply deteriorated. Unicef said last week that 60% of water production facilities in Gaza were out of order and that there was a 50% increase in acute child malnutrition from April to May. Scenes of chaos unfold every day as crowds of hungry Palestinians have had to walk miles and contend with confusing sets of rules to access food, now distributed from set points run by the private American initiative the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). More than 500 people have been shot dead by Israeli forces as they have attempted to get aid from GHF distribution points, with witnesses accusing Israeli soldiers shooting directly at crowds. The Israeli military said it was investigating such incidents. Fifteen international human rights organisations have called on the GHF to halt its operations in Gaza, saying it risks being complicit in war crimes. The organisations also accused the GHF of violating the principles of neutrality and independence, cornerstones of humanitarian work.
Sky News
14 hours ago
- Health
- Sky News
At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, health staff say
At least 60 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, health staff have said. A dozen people were killed near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, along with eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital. The strikes, which began late on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, came as US President Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of," he told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. Ron Dermer, Israel's minister for strategic affairs, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects, an official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The last ceasefire agreed back in mid-January ended in March. 27:55 The war in Gaza was sparked after Hamas launched its attack on Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than half of them still believed to be alive. More than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The UN has also warned that people in Gaza are "starving", with Israel allowing a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May after blocking all food for more than two months. 3:06 Palestinians have been shot at and killed while on their way to get food at aid sites, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, health staff say
At least 60 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, health staff have said. A dozen people were killed near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, along with eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital. Follow latest: The strikes, which began late on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, came as US President Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of," he told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. Ron Dermer, Israel's minister for strategic affairs, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects, an official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The last ceasefire ended . The war in Gaza was sparked after Hamas launched its attack on Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than half of them still believed to be alive. More than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Read more from Sky News: The UN has also warned that , with Israel allowing a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May after blocking all food for more than two months. Palestinians have been shot at and killed while on their way to get food at aid sites, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.
